Love comes under full review this month, thanks to Venus Retrograde. You might feel anxious about rejection, grapple with feelings of insecurity or wonder whether your lover thinks you’re worthy. The universe has everyone on a romantic learning curve for January. Astrologer Maria DeSimone has key predictions for every sign’s love life this month…

January love horoscope for Aries (March 21 – April 19)
With Venus Retrograde until Jan. 31, romance might not be your first priority. Because love planet Venus rules your partnership sector, you and your mate may spend a chunk of time this month reassessing your union. If it works, then it’ll continue to work. If you’re feeling a greater sense of disconnection with your love, however, it’s time to make your concerns known. Any insecurity about what you’re each contributing to the relationship may need to be addressed too, whether it’s physical tasks, financial obligations or anything else that doesn’t seem balanced.

Mars, your ruler, will continue to move through your relationship sector, aggravating any problems you may have with your honey. The good news is that with Mars here, you’ll be motivated to be proactive about solving them – even if it means the two of you need to have a blow-out. It’s possible a quarrel will get out of hand near Jan.16, when Venus and Mars square off.

If you’re single, prospects for romance are gorgeous at the end of the month, highlighted by a New Moon on Jan. 30 and by Venus Direct on Jan. 31. This is a lunation in tech-friendly Aquarius, so try online dating or flirt with a crush from one of your social media pages. A cyber conversation on Jan. 17 and again on Jan. 29 just might lead to romance!

December love horoscope for Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
Venus, your ruling planet, will be in retrograde motion all month, diminishing the flames of passion for the most part. Still, this doesn’t mean that your love life will be nonexistent or wrought with agony. Actually, Venus Retrograde cycles are opportunities to get your love life right. If you’re single, reflection on your values and requirements in love will be extra important this month. If you’re attached, focus on the responsibility of love and what it means for you and your mate to share this awesome commitment.

Because Venus will backpedal in the area of your chart that rules spirituality, morals and the bigger picture, you may discover that finding a mate who shares your religious, cultural or moral beliefs is more important than ever. If you’re in a relationship with someone who doesn’t support your views, you’ll likely wrestle with yourself about where the relationship is going and whether it has long-term potential. Things may come to a head near Jan. 16 or again Jan. 25, when communication planet Mercury will square off with Saturn, the planet of commitment and structure.

Still, Venus Direct starts Jan. 31, and it’ll be a potent, auspicious position to help you achieve a realistic perspective about love, partnership and the bigger picture.

January love horoscope for Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Love matters will be pivotal this month. You’ll be busy reflecting on your approach to intimacy and any related difficulties. That’s because Venus, the planet of love, will be retrograde all month in your 8th House of Depth – emotional and physical. A New Moon will also highlight this part of your chart Jan. 1, bringing it into even sharper focus. This is the area of your chart where you bare yourself physically – and spiritually.

If you’ve been struggling with revealing your vulnerable side to your mate, you may suddenly find during this Venus Retrograde phase that you’ve got nowhere left to hide. This may be particularly true Jan. 16, when you and your sweetheart have a lovers’ quarrel about keeping it real in your relationship.

Don’t let that scare you; allow it to comfort you. It’ll give you an opportunity to discover what your relationship really is made of. This month, allow your mate to see beneath the beauty you show everyone on the outside to see the darker parts of your psyche. It’ll test the strength of your union and it’s the only way to know for sure whether what you share together is truly striking.

January love horoscope for Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
As you begin the new year, you’re serious about love and partnership. That’s because Venus, the planet that rules love, will be moving retrograde through your relationship sector until Jan. 31, prompting you to evaluate your union. A harsh New Moon on Jan. 1 may also trigger a “do-or-die” attitude with your mate about keeping things genuine.

Don’t be intimidated. If there are holes in your relationship, it’s no surprise. You’ve known for a long time that you and your mate need to give a little TLC to couple-hood. The question is: Do you want to? If the answer is yes, then start dating and flirting with your partner again. What drew the two of you together in the first place? Reconnect from that level, even if the years have taken you far from that initial stage of your lives. You might make exceptional progress Jan. 7.

A Full Moon in your sign Jan. 15 will make you aware of what’s truly in your heart. Are you fully committed to each other or are you ready to move on? If you’re single, an old flame may come back into your life around Jan. 11, and you may entertain thoughts of reconciliation. By Jan. 25, however, a conversation with this person may remind you of why things didn’t work out the first time.

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January love horoscope for Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22)
If you’re starting 2014 caught up in an office romance, expect to focus on how your love life is affecting your work life. It appears that at least one of your colleagues is against your budding relationship, and he or she will voice this loudly on the New Moon Jan. 1. This is an angry lunation, filled with tense aspects in the sky. A New Moon does traditionally reveal opportunity, but you may find this co-worker – who’s either jealous of your office romance or feels it will get in the way of your work performance – is sabotaging a career opportunity. You’re likely to spend most of the month doing “damage control,” trying to assure higher-ups that you’re still fantastic and deserve that assignment.

Another potential manifestation of this lunation is that, although you and your sweetheart may have met at work, the atmosphere at the office has become such that one or both of you will decide to leave. If you want to find new work, the two weeks following this lunation is ideal to polish up your resume and begin the interview process.

If you’re single, this month may be one of quiet reflection when it comes to love. Venus Retrograde isn’t over until Jan. 31, and you may decide to work on loving yourself by taking better care of your health. After Jan. 31, you might meet someone new at the gym!

January love horoscope for Virgo (Aug. 23 – Sept. 22)
Love is likely to be your main focus as we head into 2014. Venus Retrograde travels through your romance sector all month. This is a rare but important phase that’ll encourage you to revise your approach to relationships and reassess your requirements in love. Ask yourself: What do I deserve? Have I been cheating myself?

If you start 2014 feeling unappreciated or not well loved by your sweetheart, a New Moon on Jan. 1 may lead to an argument. Perhaps you feel as if you’re carrying an unfair share of the financial burden in the partnership. Or, you might question whether your sweetheart is with you for you or just a physical connection. A purely sexual relationship may not satisfy you now... it might actually leave you feeling more vulnerable.

At the Full Moon on Jan. 15, you’ll gain a striking level of clarity about your ability to receive love. Have you built up a wall in this department? If so, tear it down if you hope to experience that healthy, fulfilling love connection. Thankfully, by Jan. 31, Venus Direct will open up the floodgates for this to happen. Happiness in love is more than possible this year, Virgo, if only you decide you’re worth it.

January love horoscope for Libra (Sept. 23 – Oct. 22)
You may not feel quite yourself as we begin the year, because Venus, your ruling planet, will be traveling retrograde until Jan. 31. With your powers of attraction and grace stumbling in the dark, it may feel difficult to get much off the ground – especially romance.

Indeed, this isn’t an ideal time to begin a new love relationship, so if you meet someone, consider taking January to test the waters and get to know each other slowly, as friends. Once Venus Retrograde is over, it’ll be a positive time to begin a romance, and you’ll be glad you waited until the planet of love was in a position to shower you with blessings. In fact, a shiny New Moon in your romance sector Jan. 30 will open the door wide for love.

If you’re in a relationship, testy connections in the sky may bring quarrels between you and your partner on Jan. 1-2. Fuss has everything to do with a domestic dispute, and this situation may come to a head around Jan.16. The two of you may have a bit of work to do together to reach a place of family bliss, but you’re both willing to fight for what – and whom – you love.

January love horoscope for Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)
You may begin the month searching for the right words to say to your lover. That’s because Venus Retrograde travels through your communication sector until Jan. 31. It’s a great time to resolve old ideas about love that aren’t serving your highest good. But it may be difficult to broach a topic with your mate that will affect your future together.

If you hope to have a vital conversation, wait until Jan. 6-7. Venus will still be napping, but there’s a strong possibility you’ll make progress in your dialogue. Revisit a financial situation that concerns both of you now.

Or, you might have an honest talk about your feelings for each other – what they used to be and how they have evolved. This doesn’t have to be a negative conversation. In fact, it appears quite positive. If you do tell someone you’re in love, it will only be if you mean it. Declaring love isn’t something you treat lightly, particularly this month.

On Jan. 11, you might feel confident making partnership plans, maybe even a mutually beneficial agreement about finances or your commitment to one another. If, for example, you’re getting married, you might agree to sign a pre-nuptial agreement to protect your individual financial assets you accumulated before you got together. You may also decide to put your own homes up for sale and pool your money to purchase something new. A promising New Moon on Jan. 30 will be favorable for real estate matters.

January love horoscope for Sagittarius (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)
Love may not be the first thing on your mind, but money sure is. If you’re single, this likely will distract you from romance, although a sexy conversation with someone Jan. 17 might prove electrifying.

If you’re attached, you may feel it’s time to draw a few lines in the sand to divide what’s “mine,” “yours” and “ours.” That’s because Venus, the planet of money and love, will be retrograde all month in the area of your chart that rules earned income. Until Jan. 31, an interesting situation will involve reassessing your personal worth, while also figuring out how much you can – or should – rely on your mate’s resources.

There may be quite a few reasons for this. Perhaps you’ve decided to go back to school to earn an advanced degree or to take a certification course that would enable you to earn more money. Or, you’ve risked it all to launch a business. The problem is that now your expenses may be quite high, while your income doesn’t match up. However, it’s possible your mate has been generous enough to help carry you financially through this stage. From the first of the month onward, however, that may prove to be more challenging. You’re no longer comfortable taking more than you give.

Don’t be so hard on yourself and realize this is only temporary. Your partner appears to believe in you, and he or she may send reassuring vibes Jan. 17 and Jan. 24. This is a month to focus on getting where you want to go. Be grateful you have such an extraordinary support system to help you.

January love horoscope for Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)
January will likely be one of the more eventful months for love in 2014. That’s because Venus will continue to travel retrograde in your sign until Jan. 31, dredging up all sorts of unresolved issues in your love life.

Are you in a relationship? This month holds great potential to achieve a moment of truth about your union. A testy New Moon in your sign Jan. 1 may prompt you to pursue what you want, without much consideration for how it’ll affect your partner. This may involve a new career opportunity or unilateral decision relating to your domestic life.

Forget achieving a position of power to overcompensate for a deeper internal insecurity you may struggle with. Your relationship may suffer! Remember, Venus Retrograde in your sign can ignite feelings of unworthiness, of feeling unbeautiful and unappreciated. Go within and honestly assess whether your partner is contributing to these feelings, or if you’re just reflecting an unrealistic amount of self-doubt.

A Full Moon in your partnership sector Jan. 15 will bring everything to light regarding your relationship status. On Jan. 31, Venus will turn direct and Jupiter will oppose Pluto across your relationship axis. An empowering relationship will begin to thrive again, but only if you straighten things out on the inside. If you’re single, anticipate a month of getting it right within before you’re in a position to meet someone special. The saying “You must learn to love yourself before you can love someone else” will resonate with you now.

January love horoscope for Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)
You may prefer to keep your feelings to yourself, which might work for you. Venus, the planet that rules love and how we tend to “flirt,” is now in retrograde motion, where it’ll remain all month. This cycle will affect you deeply, because Venus will retrace her steps in the most elusive part of your horoscope: the private, karmic-filled 12th house.

You’ll likely have an opportunity to overcome any anxiety you have about your feelings for someone close. This may not be easy, and a tense New Moon in the same area of your chart Jan. 1 might lead to an especially difficult time emotionally. This might be exactly what you need to ask for help from a counselor or trusted advisor. Perhaps you’re not meant to figure this out on your own.

In some instances, you may need to recognize and accept that the romantic feelings you have for that special someone aren’t reciprocated. Or, it’s possible they are, but circumstances dictate the two of you can’t be together. An honest conversation with yourself on Jan. 7 might lead to an internal love-related breakthrough.

Have you been living in the past? Are you in the habit of falling for someone you know you can never be with? Is your current relationship feeding your soul? Do your past relationships have a common theme? How has this been working for you? In all likelihood, a short-circuit needs to be repaired for you to love as fully and deeply as you hope to. Thankfully, a New Moon in your sign Jan. 30 and Venus Direct on Jan. 31 promise this fresh start. For now, do the work.

January love horoscope for Pisces (Feb. 19 – March 20)
You might experience a tug-of-war this month involving a friend and your sweetheart. If a pal isn’t as enthusiastic about your lover as you are, you may take this personally. A standoff is possible as early as Jan. 1-2. Your position is that you’re free to love whomever you choose – and that’s final! But your friend might feel you’re in over your head. Take a step back and consider whether he or she has a valid point. Is there anything unhealthy or unsavory about your love connection? View your love life with realism.

In rare cases, however, it’s possible that one of your friends is trying to sabotage your happiness. Perhaps he or she is even attracted to your lover – or you! Try to get to the root cause of the disconnect between you, your friend and his or her feelings about your love life.

The Full Moon on Jan. 15 may provide the missing puzzle piece you’ve been searching for. Thankfully, any power struggle will come to a head by Jan. 31. Keep your integrity intact, even if you move on without your lover or one less friend.

Maria DeSimone is a certified astrologer and staff writer for Tarot.com. With her B.A. in psychology, Maria is able to blend insightful astrology in a humanistic and practical manner – addressing real-life concerns – while also encouraging audiences to embrace the more metaphysical teachings and influences of astrology.